Not Even Mail Safe amid Brutal Recession
邮局也破产

Correo Argentino, a private firm running the national post office, filed for bankruptcy protection to dig its way out of massive debt with a cash-strapped government that in turn allegedly has not paid the firm millions of dollars owed. The firm said in a statement it owed $250 million to the government while the government had not paid $112 million in dues — a vicious circle increasingly common in a recession-hit economy where firms and suppliers no longer have any cash. The Argentine government is fighting a liquidity crunch of its own amid a deep three-year economic slump that has forced its national airline and even cherished soccer clubs to take similar action to seek refuge from their creditors. The government granted a 30-year contract in 1997 to operate Correo Argentino to private holding company Sociedad Macri in return for twice-yearly payments of $53 million. If Correo Argentino's plea for protection is granted by courts, it will have the possibility to renegotiate its debts.

　　运营着阿根廷国家邮局的私人公司阿根廷邮政申请破产保护以逃避欠政府的庞大债务，而据该公司说现金匮乏的政府反过来也欠它上亿美元。公司在声明中说它欠政府2.5亿美元，而政府也有1.12亿美元应付款没有给它——在经济不景气、公司和厂商都不再持有任何现金的阿根廷，这样的恶性循环越来越普遍。3年的严重经济衰退已经迫使国家航空公司乃至国人珍爱的足球俱乐部采取类似的行动以躲避债主，阿根廷政府自己也在为解决周转危机苦苦挣扎。1997年，政府批准了一个30年的合同，将阿根廷邮政交由私人控股公司Sociedad Macri运营，该公司为此需每年分两次付给政府5300万美元。如果法院同意了阿根廷邮政的破产保护申请，它将有机会就债务问题进行重新谈判。